Roxane
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Joined
Everything posted by Roxane
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Classic Pop - 01/02/2024
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Classic Pop - 01/02/2024
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Classic Pop - 01/02/2024
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Classic Pop - 01/02/2024
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The Story of Elvis - Ed3 2024 Part 1
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The week junior - 12/15/2023
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TV Grandes chaînes - 2022/12/10
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Harper's Bazaar VN - 14/09/2024
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Her parent's 20th wedding anniversary
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Télémagazine - 2019/07/27
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Télémagazine - 2019/07/27
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Télémagazine - 2019/07/27
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Télémagazine - 2019/07/27
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Télémagazine - 2019/07/27
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Elle - 2025/04/17
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Elle - 2025/04/17
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Interview Beverly Johnson: The first Black woman to ever grace the cover of the top US’s fashion magazine Pioneering elegance, breaking barriers; Beverly Johnson is the first Black woman to grace Vogue cover, paving paths and inspiring generations with her timeless beauty and unwavering grace About half way through the consequential HBO documentary Donyale Luna: Supermodel, Beverly Johnson, the first Black model on the cover of American Vogue, appears on screen. She pauses suddenly, and then starts to cry. It’s one of the most wrenching scenes in the film. You feel like the cameras should stop rolling. Johnson is clearly having a deep emotional experience as she struggles to regain control of her feelings and continue the interview. “I’m not a crier”, she says into the camera, as she wrestles to come to terms with what she has just been told by the producer who is outside the frame: That legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland compared Luna to a gorilla. In that moment all the dismissals, neglect, abuse that Luna faced, culminating in her death at 33, washed over Johnson and reminded her of her own remarkable swim upstream. She may not be a crier. But she’s an optimist, a competitor, a groundbreaker, an overcomer, a supermodel, an actor, author, mother, sister, wife, a business woman and by her own description, “a big mouth”. One of the most relevant models of the mid-20th century, Johnson sits in the company of legendary supes like Twiggy, Naomi Sims, Cheryl Tiegs and Verushka. August will mark the 50th anniversary of her game-changing cover, and Johnson went on to grace hundreds more from Harper’s Bazaar to Cosmopolitan and yes, Vogue, again. Johnson’s round, brown face, lush lips, high cheekbones and warm demeanor, splashed across Vogue, forever changed the face of beauty. And unlike, say Tiegs, she could communicate all-American and sunny or haute and remote, as needed. A tall, cool glass of creamy coffee (as the late editor André Leon Talley might say) her presence paved the way for Black women to see themselves more frequently, looking beautiful on and in magazines, embodied by models like Peggy Dillard (cover of Mademoiselle), Joyce Walker-Joseph (cover of Seventeen), Louise Vyent and Shari Belafonte (Harry’s daughter). Almost 12 months prior to Johnson’s breakthrough, black models tore it up in the famous Battle of Versailles, putting a new spotlight on African-American runway talents like Pat Cleveland and Billie Blair. To celebrate her golden jubilee this year, Johnson, 71, staged a one-woman play Off-Broadway in New York City, co-written and produced with her friend, playwright Josh Ravetch. Beverly Johnson: In Vogue, which saw Johnson narrating her life in intimate detail while seated on stage, extended its initial two-week run. She held nothing back. “At this point in my life, I’m doing the things I want to”, said Johnson. The show was a set piece for Johnson’s real life. In person, Johnson doesn’t dish about what you might expect: The photography giants she’s worked with – Penn, Scavullo; the princes of the rag trade whose clothes she flossed in – Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta; the magazines she’s appeared in; or even her memoir – a New York Times bestseller. She takes a wide lens and then zooms in on more dramatic happenings. “I’m from the school of too much Information”, she said. “Don’t ask me if you don’t want to know how I’m doing” or who she’s doing it with. She’s dated Wimbledon great Arthur Ashe, actor Chris Noth and was friends with Mike Tyson – who asked her for advice on marrying Robin Givens. “I knew it wasn’t going to work”, she said. She’s rubbed shoulders with Elizabeth Taylor and acted opposite Hollywood heavyweights like Louis Gossett Jr.. She published the memoir in 2017 and even starred and executive-produced her own reality show Beverly’s Full House on OWN, Oprah Winfrey’s network. Married to pioneering and controversial music manager Danny Sims, who helped discover Bob Marley and was the reggae superstar’s music publisher, she lived with Sims in Jamaica for a while during the Seventies, when she got to know Marley and his wife. “Bob loved Rita”, said Johnson. (Bob Marley: One Love, the movie, broke box office records earlier this year). “They used to come to our house all the time”. The only good thing that came out of her marriage during that period, as far as Johnson’s concerned, was her daughter Anansa Sims. She was devastated when she initially lost custody of Anansa to Sims. “He was a bad, bad man,” she now says of her ex. But she doesn’t dwell on it. Today she and her daughter, who inherited her mother’s stunning looks and her father’s Bob Marley catalog, are very much a part of each other’s lives ,and Johnson dotes on her grandchildren. “I say to my daughter and my granddaughter – because she’s 12 and she’s popular – say yes to the possibilities because you don’t even know what you’re going to like”. Growing up with her parents and four siblings in Buffalo, New York, Johnson believed she was going to be a lawyer – until she was exposed to modeling. Now as a mentor to several young men and women, who come to her for modeling and life advice, she says, “you don’t know what might come your way, so stay open to the possibilities. I don’t get hung up on kids or young men or ladies wanting to model”. Johnsons adds, “it’s easy to say no, but when you say no, the scene is over. That’s what we learn in improv”. A new path that she’s quite enjoying is increasing demand for her services as a speaker to corporations, women’s groups and organizations. In the last few years, her phone’s been buzzing again for modeling jobs, a response perhaps to her beauty and icon status but also the growing interest across the board in vibrant, mature women. Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya, Bibhu Mohapatra and the exciting, new guard designer Sergio Hudson have all booked her for New York Fashion Week shows. She relishes the pace. “I have an addictive gene in my family I believe”, she said. “I’m positive I inherited it”. Her father drank a bit, she said. But she expresses the addiction not through alcohol, but through her drive for work and activity. “I get locked in”, said the supermodel. “That’s the discipline, the part of me that’s not going to let anyone and anything get in my way”. As a kid, her parents enrolled her and her siblings in all-black swim teams that competed against all-white teams with many more resources, in upstate New York, and it sharpened her competitive edge, she said. When Johnson helped blow the lid off the widespread incidents of women’s sexual assault and harassment by exposing Bill Cosby’s crime, she had the bigger picture in mind. “It’s not about him”, she said. “I want to think about really big ideas like the future of humanity”. She’s proud of the work she’s done supporting #MeToo, Sara Ziff and Ziff’s Model Alliance organization. Johnson credits MA with helping to pave the way for E. Jean Carroll’s successful lawsuit against Donald Trump, as the group lobbied to extend the reporting window for claims of sexiual harassment and assault in New York. She finds respite in doing photo shoots. “It’s refreshing”, she said. Last year, she tied the knot for the third go. This one with her long-time beau financier Brian Mallian. The couple live in Rancho Mirage, California, pleasingly close to her daughter and grandchildren. Johnson will co-star with Sims and Sims’ fiance, NBA champion and ESPN analyst Matt Barnes, in a new reality series The Barnes Bunch on WE tv about the couple’s blended family. Johnson met Luna once, she recalled recently, at an agency in New York. “No one knew what she had to go through as a model here”, she mused. “Your lips are too big, you’re too fat, you’re too short. Some people can take it and some people can’t. Eileen Ford said to me: ‘You’re too fat’. I was already working for Glamour!” “She told me I would never be on the cover of Vogue”, Johnson recalled this year. Almost immediately, Johnson switched agencies. Ford, no doubt, soon realized her mistake. But it was too late. She would not be the agent who put the first Black woman on the cover of American Vogue, where Johnson knew she belonged. “I realized pretty early this industry is smoke and mirrors”, said Johnson. That note in history now belongs to the former model-turned-agency-owner Wilhelmina, because Johnson imagined a world of possibilities.
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Harper's Bazaar VN Digital - 04/2024
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Interview Beri Smither, “Love conquers all fear” Harper's Bazaar Vietnam discusses with Beri Smither about her career and the changes she has witnessed in the fashion industry over her decades as an iconic model. Beri Smither, the iconic model known for her million-dollar smile and approachable beauty, has carved out an illustrious career in the fashion industry. From her early days in modeling to becoming a mentor on E! Television’s “Scouted,” Beri’s journey is marked by memorable collaborations with legendary photographers. To mention just a few, her favorite collaboration was with Peter Lindbergh for a “Bonnie & Clyde” story for Harper’s Bazaar US, where she channeled Faye Dunaway. Another highlight was the Vogue US white story by Patrick Demarchilier, which turned her into a platinum superstar. She also fondly recalls the Krizia Campaign shot by Helmut Newton, where she portrayed a hot vixen in the south of France alongside designer Mariuccia Mandelli. When asked about her favorite Harper’s Bazaar covers, Beri Smither playfully remarks, “This one!”, referring to the photoshoot for our cover story! It was her rich archive of experiences that led Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam to engage in a discussion with Beri Smither about her career and the changes she has witnessed in the fashion industry over her decades as an iconic model. We began by asking, “Looking back, what would you consider your most iconic shoot or campaign, and what made it so special?” Beri reflects on her expansive career, “I consider the DKNY campaign in the rain with Peter Lindbergh to be a career high point. It’s iconic for me because it represented NYC and was cinematic through the lens of Peter and the creative team of Donna Karan (Trey Laird). It’s also referenced the most often.” Over the years, Beri has seen the fashion industry evolve significantly. There is now more diversity on runways and in advertising, including various races, sizes, sexualities, and ages. She observes, “Social media and digital platforms did not exist in the 90’s and it has greatly changed the way we look at fashion and editorials for better and for worse, in my opinion.” However, she still appreciates the traditional fashion print magazines, adding, “The art work in print has its own special aesthetic quality that to me feels more exclusive and prestigious.” In addition to changes in media, the modeling industry itself has undergone significant transformations. Beri Smither highlights, “Mental and physical health issues like eating disorders have gained traction, challenging the once-prevailing notion of extreme thinness as the ideal. There is an increasing focus on sustainability and ethical practices in fashion, which extends to modeling. Brands are more conscious of their environmental impact and are seeking models who align with their values of sustainability and ethical labor practices.” Beri also notes that the definition of beauty has broadened today. There is greater acceptance of different body types, skin colors, and gender expressions. Yet, she maintains that a great smile remains a timeless aspect of beauty. She is known for her timeless beauty, especially her “million-dollar smile.” Beri shares that maintaining an ageless appearance involves a disciplined skincare regimen and a healthy lifestyle. She incorporates exercise, prayer, meditation, and therapy into her daily routine. Skincare products from Gramercy Park Dermatology, Augustinus Bader, and Neo Cutis are some of her favorites. One of the biggest challenges Beri faced early in her career was weight management. She overcame this with professional help, nutritional and medical testing, and a focus on spirituality and mental health. To unwind, Beri spends time with friends and family, exercises, and pursues hobbies. She finds inspiration in films, museums, and new interests, helping her maintain balance in her life. When asked how her experience in the high-paced world of fashion has influenced her personal style off the runway, Beri responds enthusiastically, “It is inspirational! It stimulates creativity and taught me about silhouettes, color, and shape.” As a mentor on E! Television’s “Scouted,” Beri Smither advises young models on the importance of good management, financial awareness, professionalism, and having a support network. She encourages them to honor their truth and avoid doing anything under pressure. In response to our final question: Which wisdom would she like to pass on to those who look up to her as a role model? Beri simply states, “Love from a higher power, my husband, and my community. Love conquers all fear!”
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Harper's Bazaar Digital - July 17, 2024
